Pakistan’s former cricketer and coach Basit Ali strongly criticised Pakistan’s performance following their defeat against New Zealand in the first ODI in Napier. Despite a promising start, Pakistan failed to chase the 345-run target after a middle-order collapse. Eventually, Rizwan’s men collapsed and lost the match by 73 runs. This defeat came after a 4-1 loss in the preceding T20I series. New Zealand is playing with some non-regular players, as a lot of the top Kiwi players, like Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, and Lockie Ferguson, are busy in IPL 2025 right now.
Basit questions Babar Azam’s batting position
Basit Ali questioned the decision to have Babar Azam bat at number three, particularly after he had opened during the Champions Trophy and didn’t perform well. He expressed his frustration on his YouTube channel, criticising those who had advocated for Babar and Rizwan to open.
“Why did Babar play at number three? He came to open in the Champions Trophy. Where are those professors who said he should open? They should apologise to the nation. Nobody will come out now. Those who try to become cricket professors should be hit with boots (inhe joote maarne chahiye),” Basit said.
Critique of team selection and strategy
Basit hinted at internal issues within the team, blaming a particular individual for Pakistan’s recent struggles. Although he didn’t name names, he suggested that the person who made Babar and Rizwan openers has played a part in the team’s decline.
“The person who made Babar and Rizwan openers is responsible for destroying Pakistan cricket. The Pakistan team has become a franchise team. It is a team based on preferences,” he stated.
Opportunity to turn the series around
Pakistan will aim to bounce back and keep the series alive in the next match against New Zealand, which is scheduled to be held in Hamilton on Wednesday. The team will look to address the issues highlighted by Basit Ali and improve their performance in the remaining fixtures.
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